Welcome

We live in a world that is rapidly changing while presenting huge challenges we know we are not yet equipped to handle.

Simplistic answers are just not adequate. Technology equips us with insufficient resources for the challenge. And in the midst of these times there is a gnawing sense that what we are doing often seems to fall short of what is a fruitful proclamation and demonstration of the Kingdom of God. Australian culture is often characterised as skeptical but honest. The skepticism critiques but also honestly looks for the authentic, ethical and truthful.

Author and missiologist, Alan Roxburgh observes in Crossing the Bridge,

“The church’s experience is shifting from a stable and secure world toward a huge, open-ended question. If one word characterizes people’s expectations of this, it is uncertainty.”

Too often the missing responses from today’s church are expressions of authentic Christianity. Another word for this is discipleship. Jesus commissioned his followers to ‘go and make disciples’ in Matt 28:18-20. Paul too exhorted the early church to strive for, ‘unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ’. (Ephesians 4:13).

The world is watching and waiting to see if there really are people who take the words of the Bible and the life and teachings of Jesus seriously. It is looking for people who are sincere in their knowledge and relationship with Jesus Christ and who willingly commit to continual growth towards maturity in Christ. It is also looking for people who are living this out through leadership and ministry in churches and in wider society.

At Stirling we believe that the preparation of God’s people for service, leadership, ministry and mission is absolutely crucial. We are convinced that something life-giving and hope-filled happens when behavior, belonging and belief converge. We are committed to helping you connect the age-old traditions of Christian learning, reflection, discipleship and formation for service in the world today. There are creative and differing ways that each of us can serve Christ in the world. Some people are preparing for church leadership and ministry. Others are preparing for service and leadership in chaplaincy, the community or workplace. And some are simply studying at Stirling because they take the Biblical call to maturity and discipleship seriously.

We invite you to consider joining our Christian learning community of students, faculty and staff. Please read through this prospectus and imagine where you could join in with our community. Better still… come and visit us. We would be pleased to show you around our well-designed campus and discuss study options that might be just right for you and your circumstances.

“You then, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”
1 Timothy 2:1-2